Final answer:
When a combined net force of 290 N acts on two water-skiers with total mass of 109 kg (48 kg and 61 kg), the skiers will accelerate at a rate of approximately 2.66 m/s² according to Newton's second law.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question revolves around a fundamental concept in physics pertaining to Newton's second law of motion, which relates the net force acting on an object to its acceleration and mass.
When a boat is used to tow skiers, each skier experiences a force due to the tension in the tow rope. For two water-skiers with masses of 48 kg and 61 kg, with a combined net force of 290 N exerted on them by the rope as the boat accelerates, we can calculate the acceleration they will experience using the formula:
a = F / m, where a is the acceleration, F is the net force, and m is the total mass of the skiers.
To find the total mass m, we simply add the individual masses of the skiers: 48 kg + 61 kg = 109 kg. Using this total mass and the given net force, the acceleration a can be calculated:
a = 290 N / 109 kg
Performing the division gives us the rate of acceleration for the skiers, which is approximately 2.66 m/s2. This acceleration is what both skiers will experience as the boat starts moving forward, pulling them along the water surface.